Thais (Massenet) Act 3
Sex meets religion in Alexandria.
Thais (Massenet) Act 2
Sex meets religion in Alexandria.
Thais (Massenet) Act 1
Sex meets religion in Alexandria.
Norma (Bellini) Act 2
Anita Cerquetti leads the Druids in this 1958 performance of the bel canto masterpiece Norma.
Norma (Bellini) Act 1
Anita Cerquetti leads the Druids in this 1958 performance of the bel canto masterpiece Norma.
Salome (R. Strauss)
Leonie Rysanek is the Daughter of Herodias in this 1972 performance of Richard Strauss’s shocker.
Unnatural Acts Gala and Quiz!
Listen to this gala for a chance to win opera tickets, DVDs.
Il trittico, Part 3
Leo Nucci is the wily Gianni Schicchi in this 2000 Vienna performance.
Il trittico, Part 2
Christina Gallardo-Domas is Suor Angelica.
Il trittico, Part 1
Magda Olivero stars in this 1970 performance of Puccini’s one-act shocker Il tabarro.
Il Trovatore, Act 4
A golden age cast (Price, Corelli, Simionato, Bastianini) under the baton of Herbert von Karajan.
Il Trovatore, Act 3
A golden age cast (Price, Corelli, Simionato, Bastianini) under the baton of Herbert von Karajan.
Il Trovatore, Act 2
A golden age cast (Price, Corelli, Simionato, Bastianini) under the baton on Herbert von Karajan.
Il Trovatore, Act 1
A golden age cast (Price, Corelli, Simionato, Bastianini) under the baton on Herbert von Karajan.
Samson et Dalila Act 3
Tatiana Troyanos vamps it up as Saint-Saens’ Biblical sexpot.
Samson et Dalila Act 2
Tatiana Troyanos vamps it up as Saint-Saens’ Biblical sexpot.
Samson et Dalila Act 1
Tatiana Troyanos vamps it up as Saint-Saens’ Biblical sexpot.
Don Giovanni Act 2
Cesare Siepi stars in Mozart’s opera, Covent Garden 1962.
Don Giovanni Act 1
Cesare Siepi stars in Mozart’s opera, Covent Garden 1962.
Aprile Millo sings again!
Soprano Aprile Millo in scenes from I Lombardi and La Gioconda.
L’elisir d’amore Act 2
Carlo Bergonzi and Renata Scotto star in this 1967 performance of Donizetti’s romantic comedy.
L’elisir d’amore Act 1, Part 2
Carlo Bergonzi and Renata Scotto star in this 1967 performance of Donizetti’s romantic comedy.
L’elisir d’amore Act 1, Part 1
Carlo Bergonzi and Renata Scotto star in this 1967 performance of Donizetti’s romantic comedy.
Die Frau ohne Schatten, Act 3
Richard Strauss’s spectacular opera in a live performance from Paris, 1980.
Die Frau ohne Schatten, Act 2
Richard Strauss’s spectacular opera in a live performance from Paris, 1980.
Die Frau ohne Schatten, Act 1
Richard Strauss’s spectacular opera in a live performance from Paris, 1980.
La boheme, Act 4
Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni star in this 1969 performance of Puccini’s opera
La boheme, Act 3
Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni star in this 1969 performance of Puccini’s opera
La boheme, Act 2
Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni star in this 1969 performance of Puccini’s opera
La boheme, Act 1
Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni star in this 1969 performance of Puccini’s opera
Aprile Millo sings!
Soprano Aprile Millo sings Rossini, Verdi, Dvorak, Beethoven and Cilea.
More Beverly!
Beverly Sills sings Handel, Mozart, Strauss.
Beverly!
Farewell gala for Beverly Sills, 1980.
Tristan und Isolde, Act 3
A live performance from Bayreuth, 1952, of Wagner’s music drama.
Tristan und Isolde, Act 2
A live performance from Bayreuth, 1952, of Wagner’s music drama.
Tristan und Isolde, Act 1
A live performance from Bayreuth, 1952, of Wagner’s music drama.
The Beautiful Voice(s), Part 2
Stimmdivas Ghena Dimitrova and Alessandra Marc sing Puccini, Mascagni, Giordano, Ponchielli, Charpentier, Berlioz and Rossini.
The Beautiful Voice(s)
Stimmdivas Ghena Dimitrova and Alessandra Marc sing arias by Verdi and Strauss.
I Vespri Siciliani (Verdi) Act 5
Renata Scotto sings Elena in this 1970 performance of Verdi’s I Vespri Siciliani from La Scala.
I Vespri Siciliani (Verdi) Act 4
Renata Scotto sings Elena in this 1970 performance of Verdi’s I Vespri Siciliani from La Scala.
I Vespri Siciliani (Verdi) Act 3
Renata Scotto sings Elena in this 1970 performance of Verdi’s I Vespri Siciliani from La Scala.
I Vespri Siciliani (Verdi) Act 2
Renata Scotto sings Elena in this 1970 performance of Verdi’s I Vespri Siciliani from La Scala.
I Vespri Siciliani (Verdi) Act 1
Renata Scotto sings Elena in this 1970 performance of Verdi’s I Vespri Siciliani from La Scala.
La fanciulla del West (Puccini) Act 3
The third act of Puccini’s La fanciulla del West, as performed on June 15, 1954 at the Florence May Festival under the baton of maestro Dimitri Mitropolous. Mario del Monaco is Dick Johnson, Eleanor Steber is the eponymous Girl of the Golden West, Minnie, and Giangiacomo Guelfi is Sherriff Jack Ran…
La fanciulla del West (Puccini) Act 2
The second act of Puccini’s La fanciulla del West, as performed on June 15, 1954 at the Florence May Festival under the baton of maestro Dimitri Mitropolous. Mario del Monaco is Dick Johnson, Eleanor Steber is the eponymous Girl of the Golden West, Minnie, and Giangiacomo Guelfi is Sherriff Jack Ran…
La fanciulla del West (Puccini) Act 1
The first act of Puccini’s La fanciulla del West, as performed on June 15, 1954 at the Florence May Festival under the baton of maestro Dimitri Mitropolous. Mario del Monaco is Dick Johnson, Eleanor Steber is the eponymous Girl of the Golden West, Minnie, and Giangiacomo Guelfi is Sherriff Jack Ranc…
Maria Tudor (Gomes) Part 4
When the last act of an opera takes place in the Tower of London, you can probably figure out which way the plot is heading. The question is — who’s going to the executioner’s block, Fabiano or Gilberto? Following the opera, “The Enigmas of La Cieca” returns for an encore.
Maria Tudor (Gomes) Part 3
A 1998 live performance of Gomes’ opera MARIA TUDOR (which is based on an improbable play by dear Victor Hugo). So, here we are at the third act, and now things really start getting complicated. It’s not easy to top this dementia of Elaine Coelho’s “Bloody Mary,” but La Cieca is going to try. From D…
Maria Tudor (Gomes) Part 2
A 1998 live performance of Gomes’ opera MARIA TUDOR (which is based on an improbable play by dear Victor Hugo). The heroine is the Queen of England known to history as Bloody Mary. As depicted by Gomes, Maria is regal, highly conflicted and given to sudden plunges into open chest voice. All that plu…
Maria Tudor (Gomes) Part 1
A 1998 live performance of Gomes’ opera MARIA TUDOR (which is based on an improbable play by dear Victor Hugo). The heroine is the Queen of England known to history as Bloody Mary. As depicted by Gomes, Maria is regal, highly conflicted and given to sudden plunges into open chest voice. All that plu…
Manon (Massenet) Acts 4 and 5
Montserrat Caballe discovers the downside of fabulousness in the final Acts of this 1967 performance of Massenet’s Manon. Also starring in this New Orleans opera production are John Alexander and Louis Quilico. Plus more Franco and the return of The Enigmas of La Cieca!
Manon (Massenet) Act 3
Montserrat Caballe discovers the downside of fabulousness inthis 1967 performance of Massenet’s Manon. Also starring in this New Orleans opera production are John Alexander and Louis Quilico.
Manon (Massenet) Act 2
Montserrat Caballe discovers the downside of fabulousness inthis 1967 performance of Massenet’s Manon. Also starring in this New Orleans opera production are John Alexander and Louis Quilico.
Manon (Massenet) Act 1
Montserrat Caballe discovers the downside of fabulousness inthis 1967 performance of Massenet’s Manon. Also starring in this New Orleans opera production are John Alexander and Louis Quilico.
Ariadne auf Naxos: the opera
A radiant performance from the Salzburg Festival 1954. Featured are Lisa della Casa, Hilde Gueden, and Rudolf Schock. Karl Boehm leads the Vienna State opera Orchestra.
Ariadne auf Naxos: the Prologue
A radiant performance from the Salzburg Festival 1954. Featured are Lisa della Casa, Hilde Gueden, Irmgard Seefried, Rudolf Schock and Paul Schoeffler. Karl Boehm leads the Vienna State opera Orchestra. Your hostess for the show is La Cieca, cultural doyenne at parterre box.
La Gioconda Act 4
Leyla Gencer defines grandezza in this live 1971 performance of Ponchielli’s La gioconda from La Fenice. Also starring Umberto Grilli (Enzo), Maria Luisa Nave (Laura) and Mario Zanasi (Barnaba); Oliviero de Fabriitis conducts.
La Gioconda Act 3
Leyla Gencer defines grandezza in this live 1971 performance of Ponchielli’s La gioconda from La Fenice. Also starring Umberto Grilli (Enzo), Maria Luisa Nave (Laura) and Mario Zanasi (Barnaba); Oliviero de Fabriitis conducts.
La Gioconda Act 2
Leyla Gencer defines grandezza in this live 1971 performance of Ponchielli’s La gioconda from La Fenice. Also starring Umberto Grilli (Enzo), Maria Luisa Nave (Laura) and Mario Zanasi (Barnaba); Oliviero de Fabriitis conducts.
La Gioconda Act 1
Leyla Gencer defines grandezza in this live 1971 performance of Ponchielli’s La gioconda from La Fenice. Also starring Umberto Grilli (Enzo), Maria Luisa Nave (Laura) and Mario Zanasi (Barnaba); Oliviero de Fabriitis conducts.
Die Walkure Act 3
Act 3 of Die Walkuere (Wagner) at the first postwar Bayreuth Festival (1951). Astrid Varnay, Leonie Rysanek, Sigurd Bjoerling / Herbert von Karajan.
Norma Act 4
At long last, the final act of Bellini’s sublime bel canto masterpiece Norma, with Montserrat Caballe, Gianni Raimondi and Ivo Vinco. A 1974 performance from Moscow, Francesco Mollinari-Pradelli conducting.
Norma Act 3
Ladies and Gentlemen, there’s a change in cast in the current episode — Fiorenza Cossotto canceled after the second act of this 1974 performance of Norma, and the part of Adalgisa was sung in the third act by Bruna Baglioni.
Norma Act 2
La Cieca presents the second act of Bellini’s Norma, recorded live at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow on June 19, 1974. Montserrat Caballe sings the title role. She is joined by mezzo-soprano Fiorenza Cossotto as Adalgisa, and, as I’m sure any number of sopranos will tell you, working with Flo always puts a girl on her mettle. Gianni Raimondi sings the role of Pollione, and Ivo Vinco is Oroveso. The production is from La Scala, conducted by Franceso Mollinari-Pradelli.
Norma Act 1
Our opera this time is both live and demented, with even a soupcon of backstage drama to add an extra frisson. La Cieca presents the first act of Bellini’s Norma, recorded live at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow on June 19, 1974. Montserrat Caballe sings the title role. She is joined by mezzo-soprano Fiorenza Cossotto as Adalgisa. Gianni Raimondi sings the role of Pollione, and Ivo Vinco is Oroveso. The production is from La Scala, conducted by Franceso Mollinari-Pradelli.
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